Ahhhh, Pareeeeee. I have to admit the typical Paris fanbase in America has given the city a bad rap. For brevity’s sake, we’ll call them Emilys—girls who have those black and white IKEA posters of the Seine in their bedroom, journals with affirmations in the Manhattan Darling font (look it up), and “Sunday funday” Insta selfies at the beach in a big ol’ hat. Emilys have effectively made the Eiffel Tower the calling card of the beige millennial aesthetic. It’s no wonder Parisians have developed a distaste for the American tourist.
Don’t let yourself fall prey to the “basic” propaganda of the Emilys! Over the years, I’ve grown tired of defending the city to all the cool kids who sneer at the mention of Paris before sharing their summer plans of getting spanked in Berlin. I am a firm believer that anyone who is a devoted lover of fashion, art, food, and culture is a fool to dismiss Paris. Even the most touristy attractions are worth your time—the Louvre, Champs-Élysées, Montmartre (Sacre Coeur), Musée D’Orsay, Catacombs, Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pompidou, and yes, even the Eiffel Tower (just don’t be the person posing in the middle of a busy street to get a selfie). If you’re looking for a Paris itinerary outside of what you’ve seen on sitcoms and Rick Steves guides, I have some recommendations for you.
On my most recent trip to City of Lights, I felt emboldened to skip the mainstay attractions of the inner circle of arrondissements and île de la cité, and venture to destinations more frequented by locals. Paris offers far more than the stereotypical boeuf bourguignon and escargot, and you won’t get a complete picture of the city without exploring its diverse and multicultural offerings. After nine days in Paris, here is an honest and thorough review of the restaurants, shops, and attractions I hit during that week, complete with “musts” and few over-hyped “skips” to avoid:
Restaurants
Le Grand Bain (11th Arrondissement)
On our first day, we went to a Michelin-rated bistro in the heart of Belleville with elevated tapas, natural wine, and a sparse yet trendy interior. We were so impressed with the dinner we ended up going on our last night as well. With indoor and al fresco seating, it was fairly easy to make reservations the day of. 10/10
A rustic-chic restaurant in the 11th with a rotating menu of seafood and natural wine. The smoked cod tarama and oyster tower were unforgettable. The place is incredibly popular and fills up fast, but we were seated quickly upon arriving at their 6pm open time. Eating at 6pm is geriatrically early by Paris standards, but it was worth it. 11/10—my favorite meal in Paris.
Le Clown Bar (11th Arrondissement)
An inventive French and Japanese-inspired menu with an unbeatable tiled interior. The name is a nod to the whimsical illustrations of French clowns. I would recommend this spot to adventurous eaters who are willing to try veal brains (in a gorgeous tosazu broth) and veal sweetbreads. If you don’t know what sweetbreads are, Google at your own risk. 8/10
There are two locations of Gramme with different menus, both sporting an array of French international dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For lunch at Gramme 3, I highly recommend getting the Bahn Mi hot dog and don’t leave without a chocolate chip cookie. I went to Gramme 11 in Belleville for dinner for some experimental seafood small plates and natural wine. Lunch at Gramme 3 was 9/10 and dinner at Gramme 11 was a 8/10.
I kept accidentally calling this restaurant “Bistro Paul Blart,” but the Michelin-rated French restaurant is leagues beyond the mall cop universe. If you’re looking for that traditional French meal, I highly recommend the steak au poivre with French fries. If I see a “mayonegg” on a menu—eggs mimosa in France, deviled eggs to you Yankees—I can’t resist (shout out to Anne from Arrested Development). Online they recommend making a reservation over the phone, but we found that impossible, so we showed up at 7pm when they opened and were able to book a table for later that evening. The dinner was quite expensive, so be prepared to splurge. Overall a 7/10 experience.
Bouche (11th Arrondissement)
Across the street from Gramme 11 in the (you guessed it) 11th arrondissement, Bouche is a minimalist, fusion small plate brasserie with a variety of natural wines. I highly recommend the bao bun and the giant ravioli (the French word for dumpling). If we’re comparing the small plates + natural wine establishments, this one was solid but the menu wasn’t quite as consistent as Le Grand Bain and Clamato. I give Bouche a 7/10.
Briezh (Le Marais)
I saw this place on almost every “Paris Restaurant” listicle as the go-to crepe place in Paris. With an extensive wine menu and a variety of savory and sweet crepes, it’s a classic French affair. I am not personally the biggest fan of crepes, but I found the food fairly unimpressive—with slices of ham, tomato, and egg inelegantly folded into a pancake, it felt a bit like half-assed diner food. If you’re a die-hard crepe fan, give it a go, but if you’re on the fence—it’s a skip. 6/10
Café & Bars
After people-watching in line for matcha, you quickly learn that Partisan has become the go-to café for statuesque international models. It’s a bit pricey, but the coffee, matcha, and pastries have made this a trendy destination for a reason. 9/10
This cozy wine bar in the 11th is a one-woman operation with cult-favorite snacks like the giant beans with lemon zest, a burrata plate, and incredible charcuterie. There is a wide selection of reasonably priced wines from small producers. An unbeatable neighborhood spot for a midday snack. 10/10
This bar was right down the street from our Airbnb in Belleville, so we ended up going there upwards of 6 times. It is an airy, unpretentious, female-led establishment that boasts a menu of wildly experimental cocktails. I sampled every one on the list, and there were no misses. I highly recommend the Bachir—with rum, pistachio, and stracciatella, it tasted like a boozy, nougat-y dessert. 10/10
When we first passed by Folderol 11th, the line around the block quickly deterred us from visiting the ultra-trendy wine & ice cream bar. It’s wine and ice cream, how good could it be? Well, when we revisited at a time with a shorter line, turns out, it was really good. I highly recommend the olive oil ice cream paired with a chilled orange wine. 10/10
With a location in the 2nd and 7th arrondissement, Tapisserie is a lovely midday pit stop for a coffee, pastry, or egg salad sandwich topped with fish roe. If you’re visiting in the summer, don’t miss the apricot tart. 10/10
Omusubi is a staple of traditional Japanese comfort food made of sushi rice around (usually a fish) filling, and topped with nori or sesame seeds. If you’re feeling peckish, these are easy grab-n-go snacks you can eat while exploring Paris on foot. The ones with a plain tuna or salmon filling leaned a bit bland, so don’t hold back on ordering flavors that pack a punch. 8/10
This Israeli street food lunch spot was another place I’d seen all over Paris restaurant guides. Dining with a native Israeli, he was wildly disappointed it didn’t live up to the location in Tel Aviv. According to him, the Paris and New York locations aren’t worth the hype. 5/10
Shopping
Nuovo
Nuovo is a vintage resale shop that Vogue describes as “Babetastic.” With a well-curated collection of 90s and Y2K classics from Vivienne Westwood to Jean-Paul Gaultier, this has become a “cool girl” hot spot.
Officine Universelle Buly
A staple of French beauty products since 1803, Buly offers a variety of perfumes and cosmetics in a theatrically ornamental shop in the Marais. It’s a perfect place to get classically Parisian gifts and souvenirs. I highly recommend the customizable lip balm that you can have monogrammed for 30 euros.
Gaijin
Gaijin is a vintage re-seller specializing in Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, COMME des GARÇONS, Sacai, ISSEY MIYAKE, KENZO, and more. As the French say, everything there was “trop stylé.”
City Pharma
If you follow beauty girlies on YouTube, I’m sure they’ve done a 40-minute recap of their “haul” from City Pharma. What appears to be just a classic, green-cross pharmacy right outside Saint Germain is host to three stories of French women wildly pawing at shelves and filling their carts to the brim with discount beauty products—many of which are not available in the US. Definitely do your homework beforehand and come prepared with a list.
Bobby
Bobby is a trendy consignment boutique in the 2nd arrondissement with a well-curated mix of high and low Y2K and 90s vintage.
Activities
Writer William Morris would often work in the Eiffel Tower and when asked why he chose that specific locale, he answered, “That is the only place where you can’t see the damned thing.” Rest assured, views of the Eiffel Tower are not hard to come by. If you enjoy sightseeing, Paris is a veritable Disneyland of historic landmarks, so pick and choose your walking tours wisely. If you are a fan of Medieval history, plan a full day around the catacombs, Basilicas, and architecture. If you are an art lover, focus on the museums that house masterpieces from artists ranging from Picasso to DaVinci (although if I’m being totally honest, the Mona Lisa is not worth the blurry phone pic through the bullet-proof glass).
If this is your first time in Paris, I highly recommend you embrace your tourist status and hit the mainstay attractions: The Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (she’s under construction but still fun to walk around), Musee D’Orsay, and the Arc de Triomphe. If you prefer modern art collections, spend an afternoon in the Pompidou or Palais de Tokyo. If you’re looking for a stroll through a Parisian garden, opt for an afternoon picnic in the Tuileries Garden or Jardin du Luxembourg. If you’re tired of walking, go ahead and take that touristy Seine river cruise—you can get great views of Paris and a sunburn all at the same time!
If you’ve already exhausted those options on your itinerary, here are my other recommendations:
Atelier Brancusi
Just through the courtyard in front of the Pompidou is the reconstructed studio of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi (you might remember his name from AP Art History). His entire studio was left to the French state in 1956 and contains 137 sculptures, 41 drawings, and an array of paintings. The admission is free, so don’t miss this hidden gem, especially if you’re already planning a trip to the Pompidou.
Parc Buttes-Chaumont
This is an absolute gem of a park and hands-down my favorite spot in Paris. In the northeast section of the city, this former limestone quarry is host to rolling green hills, a manmade lake, and a reconstruction of the Italian Temple of Vesta from Tivoli on a stony perch in the center. Lose an afternoon exploring the bridges, grottos, and creeks—I highly recommend a pit stop at the Aperol Spritz garden to the side of Le Pavillon Du Lac.
Saint Chapelle
Okay, this is very much one of the “mainstay” European attractions, but I simply never get sick of this gaudy, Gothic chapel. There are 1113 scenes depicted in the stained glass windows that cover every biblical chapter from Genesis to the Apocalypse. If you don’t want to wait in the mass of tourists waiting for a tour, you can book a ticket to one of their concert series to see live classical music played in the chapel.Day Trips
One of the many benefits of visiting Europe is the ease with which you can take a network of trains and public transportation to destinations outside major cities. Take advantage of the easy-access metro stations and train stations to plan a day trip to Palais Royale or the lush countryside. Take advantage of these day trips to break up the hustle and bustle of tourism in the city center.
Giverny
I have to admit, the Impressionists were always a bit of a snooze in Art History classes, but Claude Monet’s Japanese-inspired garden and country house are certainly worth a visit. Expect to spend your day surrounded by 65-year-old couples and hoards of children on field trips. With a short train ride from Paris to Vernon, followed by a kitschy tram ride through the countryside, Giverny is a leisurely way to spend an afternoon. The beautifully restored house is host to a gallery of Japanese prints that were collected by Monet over the years. Cottage-core inspo at its finest. You can easily buy tickets online and you don’t need to schedule a guided tour. You’re free to stroll the grounds at your own pace.